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VOLUNTEER TESTIMONIALS
My name is Ben and RDA Brigadoon is my happy place! I ride and I volunteer at the Centre. My support worker, Leanne helps me when I volunteer. There is always lots to do. I help groom & tack the horses and I even help wash them sometimes. I also help in the office with the shredding, I stock the drinks fridge and I polish the boots. We also take the cans back to the recycling depot to earn money for our Centre. I have met lots of great people at the Centre who I now call my friends. It makes me feel good when I help out.
I enjoy learning as much as I can about our horses from the knowledgeable coaches, Everyone is so welcoming and helpful - you really feel like part of the team with all the other volunteers who willingly help each other out to get things done. We bring up the horses from the paddocks, groom and saddle them up and also help with their feeds. We also make sure everything is clean and tidy for our lovely riders. This is by far the best volunteer position I have ever had!! Carol Ballardin
My sister and I really enjoy volunteering at RDA Brigadoon. The ladies here are very friendly and the horses are just lovely. We appreciate the joy these activities give to the clients and we also get our "horsey fix." Jacqui Jones
I have been a volunteer with RDA Brigadoon for two years now. With guidance from our amazing coaches, and volunteer training days, I have learned many new skills and gained so much confidence in my ability to assist our riders to get the best they can from their lessons. As a RDA volunteer I feel appreciated and valued and l find the experience not only rewarding but very humbling. I have met so many amazing people who all share a love of horses and caring for others. Leanne Gauder
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Hi, my name is Scotty and I have the privilege of volunteering at RDA Brigadoon. Over the years, it has never failed to amaze me how much our beautiful horses and ponies, can work miracles for our clients.
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Just one example, is where a young boy arrived for an
afternoon lesson at our Centre. To say he was “terrified”, would be an understatement. Prior to the lesson starting, we attempted to get him involved, gently, by showing him a volunteer feed some carrots to one of our ponies, with him standing behind the volunteer, looking on. Next on the agenda was getting close enough to pat the pony. We then graduated to just sitting on the pony, followed by a few steps in the arena. Still very difficult for him, but we had a happy outcome.
After the lesson he dismounted and began running around, excitedly. Thanks to the wonderful instructors and helpers, who all helped him through his lesson, he left RDA a much more confident young man. When it came to “pick up” time to go home, he announced that he didn’t want to go home and wanted to “go again.” (That’s a “win win”!!) Happy trails.
Scotty
My name is Olivia. I have been coming to RDA for nearly 8 years and I love it here. I come 3 days a week.
Mondays the centre is closed so my Mum and I come in to feed the horses and get the feeds for the next day ready. I home school so sometimes I do maths here too while we’re waiting for the horses to finish eating.
Thursdays, I have my riding lesson and I also volunteer for a few hours. Some of my jobs I do are leading other riders, tacking and untacking horses, picking up horse poo and walking horses to and from the paddocks as the coach needs them.
Fridays I help with carriage lessons. I am also training to be an assistant carriage coach. I have made some awesome friendships here too that I love.